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of florins from his privy purse, and appropriate the interest of that sum, for the future subsistence of the gallant soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the field.

On the 20th, the day of his death, he said to Marshal Laudohn, “ I die with the satisfaction that you will be the protector of my army. Give me your hand in a few hours I shall no longer have the pleasure of pressing it in mine." The venerable Marshal Haddick was so struck with this scene, that he was conveyed almost senseless to his own house; from that moment he never quitted his bed, and died a few days after his sovereign.

The new-born princess was brought to him: he took her in his arms, kissed her, and bedewed her with his tears: "Dear child! the very picture of thy lovely, thy virtuous mother-Take her away; for my last moment approaches!"-He then called his confessor, who beginning the prayer," We praise thee, O God," he interrupted him and said, "Lord! thou, who alone knowest my heart, I call thee to witness, that I had never any other object in view than the good of my subjects. Thy will be done!"-He then permitted the confessor to finish the prayer. Marshal Lascy, the Prince of Dietricht, the Count of Rosenberg, and his physician and confessor continued with him the whole night. At four in the morning, the emperor awoke, after a tranquil sleep. He took a little broth, and enquired for his confessor. The latter began to read the prayers again. When he came to these words, " Our trust is in faith, hope, and love," the emperor repeated the word "faith" very loud, that of "hope" in a distinct, but softer tone, and that of "love" with the greatest fervour. "All is over now," said he, to his confessor: "I have no longer any use for that prayer-book: take it, and keep it for my sake."-Some moments after, he said, "I think I have now fulfilled my duties as a man and a sovereign." Then turning on one side, he breathed hard, for a few moments, and expired.

FAITHFUL COMPANION.

A Mr. Rogers and a Mr. Carr, both natives of Kentucky, were on their return from the Council Bluffs on the margin of the Missouri, when the cold weather set in, accompanied with a deep fall of snow. Mr. R. being in a weak state of health, it was thought fittest to attempt to descend the stream, instead of traversing the forests. When one hundred and fifty miles from any settlement, the ice on the river prevented their descent; and no other alternative was left than to land, and leave Mr. R. in the woods, with some necessaries, till the return of his friend, who went in quest of relief. Carr with difficulty reached the settlement, and immediately returned to his helpless friend. After a toilsome search, and an absence of twenty-one days, Carr at length discovered the apparently lifeless body of Rogers. On approaching it, this faithful traveller first observed a rise of snow, and many tracks of a wolf leading to it. With a palpitating heart, he went up to it, and saw a piece of buffalo robe sticking out; stooping down, he discovered the glistening eyes of his friend! He was still alive; but his feet much frozen. His fire had gone out, and in attempting to make more, his powder blew up. He was afraid his friend had been frozen, and despairing of life, had rolled himself up in his buffalo robe, and laid down. He was eight days without any kind of food, and was so exhausted, that when the wolf stared him in the face, he was not able to make any exertion to drive him away.

Rogers was then conveyed to Hempstead, where he not only recovered his general health, but, strange to tell, the complete use of his limbs.

TERRIFIC CONFLICT WITH A RATTLE-SNAKE.

[graphic]

THE ship Prosperity, from London, reached one of the West India islands in May, 1806. One of the seamen, named Jarvas, having left the vessel, wandered about the island on a sultry day, such as are frequent in that part of the globe. Being oppressed by the intense heat, and fatigued with previous exertions, he inconsiderately laid himself down to sleep, reclining his head on a small hillock, opposite a rock about ten feet high. He lay on his back, and his eyes, after he had slept a little, were directed, as the first object that met them, to the perpendicular height before him. What was his horror to discover, on the top of it, an enormous rattle-snake, with part of its body coiled up, and the other projecting considerably over the precipice, with its keen and beautiful, yet malignant eyes, steadily fixed on him! He felt as if charmed to the spot. The witchery of the serpent's eyes so irresistibly rooted him to the ground, that, for the moment, he did not wISH to remove from his formidable opponent. The huge reptile gradually and slowly uncoiled its body, all the while steadily keeping its eyes fixed on those of its intended victim.

Jervas now cried out, without being able to move, "He'll bite me! take him away! take him away!"

The snake now began to writhe its body down a fissure in the rock, keeping its head elevated more than a foot from the ground. Its rattle made very little noise. It every moment darted out its forked tongue, its eyes became reddish and inflamed, and it moved rather quicker than at first. It was now within two yards of its intended victim, who by some means had dissipated the charm, and, roused by a sense of his awful danger, determined to stand on the defensive. To run away from it, he knew would be impracticable, as the snake would instantly dart its whole body after him. He therefore resolutely stood up, and put a strong glove on his right hand, which he happened to have with him. He stretched out his arm; the snake approached slowly

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and cautiously towards him, darting out its tongue still more frequently. Jervas recommended himself fervently to the protection of Heaven. The snake, when about a yard distant, made a violent spring. Jervas caught it in his right hand, directly under its head, and squeezed it with all his power. Its eyes almost started out of its head; it lashed its body on the ground, at the same time rattling loudly. He watched an opportunity, and suddenly holding the animal's head, while for a moment it drew in its forked tongue, with his left hand, he, by a violent contraction of all the muscle in his hand, contrived to close effectually its jaws !

Much was Now done, but much more was TO BE done. He had avoided much danger, but he was still in very perilous circumstances. If he moved his right hand from its neck for a moment, the snake, by avoiding suffocation, could easily muster sufficient power to force its head out of his hand: and, if he withdrew his hand from its jaws, he would be fatally in the power of its most dreaded fangs. He retained, therefore, his hold with both his hands. He drew its body between his thighs, in order to aid the compression, and hasten suffocation. Suddenly, the snake, which had remained quiescent for a few moments, brought up its tail, hit him violently on the head, and then darted its body several times very tightly round his waist. Now was the very acme of his danger. Thinking, therefore, that he had sufficient power over its body, he withdrew his right hand from its neck, and took (the work of a moment) his large sailor's knife out of his hat. He bent its head on his knee, and, again recommending himself fervently to Heaven, cut its head from its body, throwing the head to a great distance. The blood spouted violently in his face; the snake compressed its body still tighter, and Jervas growing black in the face, thought he should be suffocated on the spot, and laid himself down. The snake again rattled its tail, and lashed his feet with it. Gradually, however, he found the animal relax its hold; it soon fell slack around him, and untwisting it, and throwing it from him as far as he was able, he sank down and swooned upon the bank. Some of the natives coming by, and seeing the snake, but not noticing its head was cut off, and Jervas motionless, concluded he was killed. However, they saw at last the condition of the snake, and that Jervas was recovering a little; they gave him a little rum, unbuttoned his shirt, and by friendly aid in a very short time he recovered, and returned to the vessel, fervently praising the Almighty for his wondrous deliverance.

EFFECTS OF FORTUNE TELLING.

As additional and curious illustrations of the fatal power of imagination, the two following facts, the first of which fell within the personal observation of the writer, will not be unacceptable to our readers.-A few years since, a young lady, whose name and address must, for very obvious reasons, be concealed, was, when in the full possession of health and spirits, forewarned by a gipsey, by whom she, in a mere frolic, had the curiosity to have her fortune told, that she would assuredly die on a certain day, within a few months from that time. This wanton and idle prediction gradually made a strong and unusual impression on the girl's mind. Her dejection and alteration of manner being observed by her friends, she was asked the cause, upon which she related the cause just mentioned, adding, that she felt conscious the prediction would be verified. Her friends, of course, at first endeavoured to laugh her out of the idea; but,

when they perceived, notwithstanding, her melancholy daily increase, they had recourse to reasoning and remonstrance on the absurdity of indulging in such a mere air-drawn phantom. Ridicule and remonstrance proved equally ineffectual. The poor girl at length becoming seriously ill, took to her bed, from which she never more arose. As the time of the prophecy grew nearer, she grew visibly worse, and on the very day foretold by the gipsy, she expired, under all the fictitious horrors of a deluded imagination.

The second instance, is one with which the writer was not personally acquainted, but of which he has every reason to believe the truth.-Some persons, determined to try the power of imagination, fixed on, for their experiment, a hale and robust countryman, who had never known a day's illness in his life. This man they told, with an assumed air of seriousness and concern, that he looked unwell. The fellow, as may be supposed, at first treated the observation with contempt and ridicule; but, on hearing it continually repeated, he at length brought himself to imagine there might be some truth in it. Fancy soon realizes the object of its hope or fear; what at first he only thought probable, he at length firmly believed to be true. This belief, by a natural and obvious consequence, soon occasioned a real indisposition. Those who had first possessed him with this notion, now began to be alarmed at the success of their experiment. Nothing, however, was able to counteract the impression already given. The man became worse, and, in the space of a few months, fell a martyr to his imagination. It is unnecessary to remark, that, had the melancholy result been foreseen, the experiment never would have been tried.

CONJUGAL AFFECTION.

Camma, a lady of Galatia, is celebrated by the writers of antiquity for the following extraordinary instance of singular vengeance on the murderer of her husband. The former, whose name was Simorix, being enamoured of the beautiful Camma, assassinated Sinatus, her husband, that he might the more effectually accomplish his purpose. Camma, after having long resisted the presents and entreaties of Simorix, being apprehensive, at last, that he would have recourse to violence, pretended to consent to espouse him. She engaged him to meet her at the temple of Diana, of which she was the priestess, in order to give the greater solemnity to their union. It was the custom that the bride and bridegroom should drink together out of the same cup. Camma, after having pronounced the consecrated words, and administered the usual oath, first took the vase, in which she had infused a mortal poison, and, after having drunk, presented it to Simorix, who, not having the least mistrust, immediately drank the remainder. Camma, transported with joy, instantly exclaimed, that she should die happy, since her beloved husband was now avenged. They both expiredsoon after.

THE PACHA OF WIDDIN

Osman Paswan Oglu was the son of an Albanian renegado. In his early life he signalized himself by his extraordinary strength and intrepidity; artful and crafty in all his undertakings, firm and resolute whenever he found it necessary to be so, his plans very seldom failed of complete success. When he had raised himself to the rank of pacha of two tails, "bolder projects began

to occupy his soul. He soon found himself able to defy the whole power of the Grand Signior.

It was not long before a favourable opportunity of shewing his influence presented itself. The rights of the Janissaries had been invaded, the people every where murmured, but what opposition can they make to the will of a mighty despot? The Pacha set himself up for the protector of all the Janissaries, and issued a solemn declaration from his fortress, that he would never suffer the support of the Ottoman military power to be shorn of its splendour. From that moment the hearts of all the Janissaries were devoted to Paswan Oglu. Throughout all Turkey they regarded him as their deliverer-as the defender of their rights and privileges. Numbers of the most resolute of those warriors vowed to sacrifice their blood and lives for their generous protector, if he required it. In the Divan, at Constantinople, however, the Pacha was declared a rebel. Several neighbouring commanders received a firman, enjoining them to collect their whole force and reduce him to obedience. The Janissaries flew to their arms, and went in multitudes to the assistance of their menaced protector. Widdin was filled with resolute soldiers, and every attack was repelled with desperation. All the efforts of the Porte to conciliate the conqueror proved unavailing.

His enterprizes, on, the contrary, were marked with continually increasing audacity. His troops inundated all Bulgaria; nothing could withstand him till he planted his standard before the gates of Varna. It was, nevertheless, easy to foresee that the Porte would not remain a quiet spectator of his progress. Paswan Oglu made formidable preparations to resist the gathering storm. He had engaged in his service a great number of Polish and French emigrants, and likewise of Austrian deserters from Hungary and the bannat of Temeswar; he had established founderies of cannon, and collected a prodigious quantity of powder and provisions in Widdin. Murderous batteries were thrown up around the fortress, and tremendous mines were formed in suitable situations. The Capudan Pacha, who had married a sister of the Grand Signior, and was in high favour with the latter, was at length directed to assemble a powerful army, to besiege Widdin, and to exterminate the enterprizing rebel. Asiatics and Europeans were obliged to repair from all the provinces of the empire to his banners, and he himself quitted the capital with the flower of the Turkish army. A numerous flotilla sailed up the Danube. The land forces soon increased to eighty thousand men. Widdin was blockaded both by land and water, and the ruin of Paswan Oglu appeared inevitable. The signal for storming was given; tremendous was the thunder of the artillery planted on the bulwarks; the Mussulmen undauntedly threw themselves into the ditches, which were of considerable depth. Whole ranks were swept away by the heavy artillery of the fortress. Paswan Oglu by his presence in every quarter inflamed the courage of his men. They all defended themselves with the resolution of despair.

The Capudan Pacha found himself necessitated to give the signal for retreat. The failure of the first attack was an unfavourable omen for the whole campaign. It is a well-know characteristic of the Turks, that in case the first enterprize, be it ever so insignificant, proves successful, their confidence is unbounded; but if discomfited in this, all the succeeding ones are sure to be disastrous, because a general despondency then pervades their army. How indeed could it be otherwise, firmly believing as they do in an inevitable fatality and unalterable predestination? The result was not difficult to be foreseen. A panic seized their whole army; great numbers of the Turks

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